as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something
bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging
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Recent Examples of bystanders
About eight teens could be seen throwing punches and hurling restaurant furniture at one another as innocent bystanders huddled for safety in a corner of the establishment.
—
Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
Chris Briggs, a neighbor, said several bystanders stepped in to help before first responders arrived at the scene, according to WCVB and WFXT.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Even as playoff bystanders, the Heat is feeling the impact of the ongoing NBA playoffs.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
While the bystanders were trying to break the glass, the car caught fire and began to smoke.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Travel brands are no longer content to hover around the tournament as logoed bystanders.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Firefighters found a crowd of bystanders gathered around a drain and confirmed that several ducklings were swimming at the bottom in a pool of water.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2026
Demoustier stars as a penniless young woman called Suzanne working on the ‘Venus Electrificata’ sideshow of a traveling fair meting out electrifying kisses to unsuspecting paying bystanders, while secretly being charged with electricity.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2026
Police did not say whether the other two victims were bystanders.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
Chris Briggs, a neighbor, said several bystanders stepped in to help before first responders arrived at the scene, according to WCVB and WFXT.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Even as playoff bystanders, the Heat is feeling the impact of the ongoing NBA playoffs.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
While the bystanders were trying to break the glass, the car caught fire and began to smoke.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Travel brands are no longer content to hover around the tournament as logoed bystanders.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Firefighters found a crowd of bystanders gathered around a drain and confirmed that several ducklings were swimming at the bottom in a pool of water.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2026
Demoustier stars as a penniless young woman called Suzanne working on the ‘Venus Electrificata’ sideshow of a traveling fair meting out electrifying kisses to unsuspecting paying bystanders, while secretly being charged with electricity.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2026
Police did not say whether the other two victims were bystanders.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bystanders
Noun
-
As the reactions from spectators at Imola prove, even seeing a Miura feels special.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
18 May 2026
-
Though popular with tweens and teenagers, spectators of all ages were at SAP Center.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
However, what most observers do not realize is that the looks on that red carpet are rooted in French beauty which has a deep, fascinating history.—
Pooja Mistry,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Some observers in Indiana, for instance, have noted that local issues—a casino project, property taxes—fed into the races there.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Soap invited its viewers to take jabs at the genre in a time when the soap opera’s reputation had already been sullied in the American mind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The event was broadcast simultaneously, in prime time and in two languages, across four TV networks, which averaged thirteen million viewers total, and attended in person by hundreds of thousands of people.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bystanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bystanders. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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